Police stories: Thai edition

[LakeGeneve]

A threadf for all of those unique and only in Thailand stories involving the wonderful boys in brown. Stories of the good, the bad and the ugly;

Hot on the heels of the 'new' Bangkok policing strategy of Preventative Patrolling launched a few months ago, Thai police have now become aware of the investigative method of Geographic Profiling.

Although this method has been widely adopted by police in many countries since the1980s, and more informally for decades prior to that, this "silver bullet" has finally reached the awareness of Thai police. Better late than never and a good, quick result in this case.

Police use 'silver bullet' in their hunt for suspects A convicted rapist is nabbed again.By: Wassayos Ngamkham Bkk Post 13/07/2009

Geographic profiling technology has been described as a "silver bullet" that can help police quickly catch serial rapists. The technology enables police to map out a "criminal geography" for a clearer picture of a rapist's location, Sutthivej Boonyaratkalin, chief investigator at the Crime Suppression Division sub-division 1, said.

Though widely integrated into police practice in Europe and the US, geographic crime analysis is new to Thailand, Pol Maj Sutthivej said.

It is commonly incorporated into criminal investigations into serial murders and rapes in addition to criminal behavioral analysis. Through the technique, police can predict where a criminal lives, based on the location and frequency of the crimes committed. Pol Maj Sutthivej said geographic profiling played a crucial role in the swift capture last week of taxi driver Thongmee Konjaturas, 37.

Thongmee is accused of raping a woman passenger and recording the sex act on his mobile phone. He has also been accused of threatening to blackmail her by releasing the images. The taxi driver was arrested on Thursday in Nonthaburi province, a day after the rape victim lodged a complaint with police.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/crimes/20133/police-use-ilver-bullet-in-their-hunt-for-suspects

Can someone pls advise taxi companies that they should exclude convicted sex offenders from applying to be a taxi driver.

[LakeGeneve]

OMB, 8 police jailed for over 3 yrs for extortion. Good to know a few cases do result in some justice.

Drug dealers beware, your the favoured extortion target by police......after tourists buying duty free!

Police jailed for extortion 25/07/2009

A Bangkok court has sentenced eight anti-narcotics policemen to three years and four months in jail for extortion. The Southern Bangkok Criminal Court yesterday sentenced Pol Capt Nat Chonnithiwanit, 30, Pol Sgt Maj Chavalit Sumon, 39, Pol Sgt Maj Manop Sukkongmit, 40, Pol Cpl Neramit Chatumit, 28, Pol L/C Akradet Kochakrit, 26, Pol L/C Roongrote Kretju, 23, Pol L/C Arkom Sudjai, 30, and Pol L/C Chatree Pankarung, 25, for extorting money from a man they had charged with drug offences.

The group led by Pol Capt Nat raided a room at the Parkland Residence building in Bangkok's Pathumwan district on Jan 19, 2008. They said they found a bag containing 28.7 grammes of methamphetamine in Thaweekiet Wongwitsong's pocket during the search. The policemen were accused of beating up and extorting money from Mr Thaweekiet after they arrested him.

The court said it believed the officers had extorted money from Mr Thaweekiet because they had not immediately taken him for interrogation at Pathumwan station. Instead they first phoned his mother and waited for her to pay the 500,000 baht they had demanded. The court dismissed the charge of physical assault because Mr Thaweekiet showed no signs of injury.

The eight policemen and four civilian suspects were accused in another ongoing extortion case. This involved the Jan 20, 2008 demand for 8.8 million baht to withdraw a drugs charge against Piengjit Pueng-on, the wife of a Thon Buri businessman.

In another ongoing case, Pol Capt Nat and 11 other suspects were found guilty of arresting, assaulting and extorting money from another man in October 2007. Again the money was paid to drop a drugs charge

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/20884/police-jailed-for-extortion

[digitalcat]

FUDGE if they keep going this way when I am ready to do drugs again I wont be able to buy my way out!!! FUDGE

ok It's been 7 years whose got the blow?

[Bruce551]

Post Bag, 27 July 09

Why stop with police?

Your editorial on the need to have an independent body to monitor the activities of the police should be commended. But why stop there? It is absolutely clear other officials are involved in these scams too.

There are fundamental flaws in the legal system. It's a legal system which gives undue credibility to police witnesses when in many cases they fail the ethical test. The court system is not transparent because judges cannot be criticised and one gets the definite feeling that if a jury system were to be introduced all the juries would be nobbled.

It is small wonder that so many people take the law into their own hands rather than accept a justice system which has been imposed on them and which time and time again fails them. In short, Thais cannot hope to see how justice is done if it cannot be open to scrutiny.

Today a policeman implicated in the shooting of two Canadians 19 months ago still remains at liberty in Pai, and when the prime minister announces in the Bangkok Post six cases which police should solve quickly we are led to hope something will be done.

Apparently not. The wife of a British man on the run from British police while on bail for drugs charges, who incidentally has been given all the documents he needs to live in Thailand, has been given bail for allegedly ordering the shooting of American Donald Whiting in Hua Hin which has crippled him for life. Donald Whiting was involved in a dispute with her husband, not her, and his property company. No action has been taken against the Briton. There are vast amounts of money at stake in this case.

The extortions are not confined to the airport. Wake up and you will see hundreds of foreigners being extorted on land deals in Thailand over the last two years.

Foreigners thus can be construed as fair game. But the short term gains for some Thais are long term image problems for the country.

ANDREW DRUMMOND

Sometimes it's a little scary to live here, if you do become entrapped in a Thai scam, there no legal recourse, except to pay off the police.

:?

[LakeGeneve]

Did someone in BKK forget to tell the boys in Mukdahan that a shipment was being collected?

Two police officers caught redhanded in drug sting The Nation September 25, 2009

Two Bangkok policemen arrested recently in Mukdahan province have been suspended pending further investigations into their alleged crime. The two officers, Pol Major Phayung Meephaithoon and Pol Sr SgtMajor Thanadol Srinisai, were arrested on September 19 along with two civilian suspects - Chatchawal Khwaengchuen and Ratchanee, a woman whose surname was not revealed.

Pol Colonel Jamras Chaiyasak, chief of Don Tan district police in Mukdahan, dismissed both officers' claim that they were buying amphetamine from the two civilians as part of a sting operation. Jamras instead said they had they failed to make arrests and hand the civilians over to local police as required under normal procedure.

All suspects have been charged with possessing illegal drugs with the intent to sell, while the officers also face charges of carrying firearms without permission and reasonable cause. Jamras said a Bangkok police division, that the two officers come under, has denied that the two had been given the job of conducting a sting operation in Mukdahan.

[LakeGeneve]

I used to live near 4 small casinos in inner city BKK so one infers that there must be dozens around the city under the watchfull eye of the local BIB?

Cops shifted after casino dens raided Published: 1/11/2009 Bkk Post

A transfer of 17 senior officers at Huay Kwang and Phlapphla Chai 2 police stations and the Metropolitan Police Divisions 1 and 6 has been ordered after gambling parlours were found operating under their watch. The transfers were prompted by a police raid on a gambling den on Friday evening. City police raided the den in Samphanthawong district and arrested 228 people and seized gambling chips worth 120 million baht and 500,000 baht in cash.

On Oct 24, city police raided another gambling parlour under the joint jurisdiction of the Huay Kwang and Phlapphla Chai 2 police stations and arrested 14 gamblers. A police inquiry has begun into whether the officers subject to the transfer orders knew about the den, and took bribes to turn a blind eye. In the first order by the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB), dated Oct 26, Huay Kwang police superintendent Pol Col Anurak Nakphong was transferred to the Royal Thai Police Office for 30 days pending the results of an inquiry.

In the second order, signed on Friday, Pol Col Krailert Buakaew, a deputy commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau 1, Pol Lt Col Khomsan Taengjui, a deputy superintendent of the Huay Kwang police station and Pol Lt Col Wasuthep Khongklom, another deputy superintendent of the Huay Kwang station, have been transferred to the city police headquarters for one month. Three police inspectors from Huay Kwang police station have also been transferred - Pol Lt Col Sanati Kornkasem, Pol Lt Col Thawatchai Norasing and Pol Maj Phumet Angsuwanakul.

In the third order, dated yesterday, Witthaya Ratanawit, commander of the Metropolitan Police Division 6, Pol Col Uthasin Ritrueangdet, who was Pol Maj Gen Witthaya's deputy, Pol Col Ekkarak Limsangkart, superintendent of the Metropolitan Police Division 6 and his deputy Pol Lt Col Kornkit Khamchu were transferred. The third transfer also included Pol Col Theeraphong Klaikaew, superintendent of the Phlapphla Chai 2 police station and his deputies, Pol Lt Col Sinlert Sukhum and Pol Lt Col Thanakorn Konkaew.

Three police inspectors at the Phlapphla Chai 2 police station, Pol Lt Col Phasaworn Phrairak, Pol Lt Col Phichit Yothinwatchara and Pol Lt Col Suwit Yonchorhor were also transferred. The officers subject to the second and third orders will serve at the MPB for 30 days. MPB commissioner Vorapong Chiewpreecha said he had also replaced a police unit suppressing "immoral" activities in the city.

[DuskyShandy]

What do you expect?

It is what it is.

[LakeGeneve]

We all are quite rightly critical of the police in general. Thus, credit should be given where it is due.

It is very heartening to read about a police officer not only showing initiative and being creative, (though using a prize technique which has been used before in other places), but also ensuring that sexual crimes against women are properly investigated when one hears so many stories to the contrary.

Samut Prakan police bait crooks with fake rewards: A novel approach based on greed works wonders for crime fighters, Bangkok Post, 23/11/2009

As any good marketing guru knows, greed is a powerful emotion. It's not been lost on the police, either, as they struggle with a lack of resources and a backlog of cases. Enter police inspector Utane Noui-pin who, with a plan novel to Thailand, a few well crafted letters and a clever marketing strategy has lured some odious criminals into his clutches without having to break a sweat.

Pol Lt Col Utane's innovative plan has just caught six suspects in rape-related crimes in Samut Prakan at a cost of just 15 baht each. It all started when the concept of using an operation called "You've Got Lucky Mail" flashed through his mind one day. The idea struck him as he was discussing with his subordinates at Police Region 1 headquarters whether there were better ways to catch elusive criminals.

He said the scheme seemed ideally suited to his under-resourced and under-funded police force who are buried under a mountain of cases with more pouring in each day. The theory is totally opposite to the usual steps police take in searching for suspects. Instead of spending hours tracking them down, his team now just waits in an office for replies to their letters from the postman.

Unlike other officers who use closed-circuit footage and material evidence to track suspects down, Pol Lt Col Utane's men use fake rewards to effect arrests. He said the trick worked against suspected sex offenders in Samut Prakan. "Some police view these cases as trivial crimes compared with murders, but I think they're wrong," said Pol Lt Col Utane. His motivation to bring them to justice derived from his concern for women and girls stigmatised by rapists.

Rape cases are frequently reported in Samut Prakan. But too many of the wanted criminals are still at large. Only their names and the serial numbers of their arrest warrants can be found in the computer database. What the investigators did was write invitation letters asking the suspects to come and collect rewards being offered to them by Sanji Electric Co (Thailand), a fake company. The letters were posted to the addresses of the suspects stated in their house registrations to lure them out of hiding.

"You are lucky person No 8 and entitled to our third prize, a Sanji Super Wifi 3800 stereo with double 3800-watt speakers worth 28,500 baht," read one letter. It asked the receiver to fill in the required information, including his telephone number, on an attached form for further contact. A week after sending out the letters, Samtep Saiarun, 16, was the first to reply. He was told to receive the award in Bangkok where he would be welcomed by "company staff" at the Mor Chit northern bus terminal.

Pol Lt Col Utane clearly remembers the moment Samtep met his team on Oct 27. He smiled when he was greeted by the undercover police. But within minutes Samtep's face turned pale when he was handcuffed and told "You're caught, kid." The other five suspects - Amnat Wongduean, 37, Sangwan Kaewpiak, 44, Huean Somkaew, 36, Anuson Noisuwan, 21, and Prakong Puchum, 22 - were nabbed the same way later.

They were arrested on Nov 16 and 17. This time the five were told to receive the awards at the JJ mall shopping centre in the Chatuchak area. "Some went to the place loaded with their belongings from upcountry. Some had been waiting there since 4am," Pol Lt Col Utane recalled.

He said he had already used the ploy to nab more than 50 criminal suspects. In fact, he said, it was not a new idea and was taken from a handbook that teaches you how to be "a cool investigator". Police in Samut Prakan were surprised at the speed of the arrests. "Do you think what I did was sinful" to deceive the suspects, Pol Lt Col Utane asked the Bangkok Post. "I don't think so. These people brought a lot of pain to the victims' families. They have to pay."

(Not really sure why the Post Graphics team put splattered blood in the graphic)

[Admin_2]

We all are quite rightly critical of the police in general. Thus, credit should be given where it is due.

It is very heartening to read about a police officer not only showing initiative and being creative, (though using a prize technique which has been used before in other places), but also ensuring that sexual crimes against women are properly investigated when one hears so many stories to the contrary.

Samut Prakan police bait crooks with fake rewards: A novel approach based on greed works wonders for crime fighters, Bangkok Post, 23/11/2009

As any good marketing guru knows, greed is a powerful emotion. It's not been lost on the police, either, as they struggle with a lack of resources and a backlog of cases. Enter police inspector Utane Noui-pin who, with a plan novel

to Thailand, a few well crafted letters and a clever marketing strategy has lured some odious criminals into his clutches without having to break a sweat.

Pol Lt Col Utane's innovative plan has just caught six suspects in rape-related crimes in Samut Prakan at a cost of just 15 baht each. It all started when the concept of using an operation called "You've Got Lucky Mail" flashed through his mind one day. The idea struck him as he was discussing with his subordinates at Police Region 1 headquarters whether there were better ways to catch elusive criminals.

He said the scheme seemed ideally suited to his under-resourced and under-funded police force who are buried under a mountain of cases with more pouring in each day. The theory is totally opposite to the usual steps police take in searching for suspects. Instead of spending hours tracking them down, his team now just waits in an office for replies to their letters from the postman.

Unlike other officers who use closed-circuit footage and material evidence to track suspects down, Pol Lt Col Utane's men use fake rewards to effect arrests. He said the trick worked against suspected sex offenders in Samut Prakan. "Some police view these cases as trivial crimes compared with murders, but I think they're wrong," said Pol Lt Col Utane. His motivation to bring them to justice derived from his concern for women and girls stigmatised by rapists.

Rape cases are frequently reported in Samut Prakan. But too many of the wanted criminals are still at large. Only their names and the serial numbers of their arrest warrants can be found in the computer database. What the investigators did was write invitation letters asking the suspects to come and collect rewards being offered to them by Sanji Electric Co (Thailand), a fake company. The letters were posted to the addresses of the suspects stated in their house registrations to lure them out of hiding.

"You are lucky person No 8 and entitled to our third prize, a Sanji Super Wifi 3800 stereo with double 3800-watt speakers worth 28,500 baht," read one letter. It asked the receiver to fill in the required information, including his telephone number, on an attached form for further contact. A week after sending out the letters, Samtep Saiarun, 16, was the first to reply. He was told to receive the award in Bangkok where he would be welcomed by "company staff" at the Mor Chit northern bus terminal.

Pol Lt Col Utane clearly remembers the moment Samtep met his team on Oct 27. He smiled when he was greeted by the undercover police. But within minutes Samtep's face turned pale when he was handcuffed and told "You're caught, kid." The other five suspects - Amnat Wongduean, 37, Sangwan Kaewpiak, 44, Huean Somkaew, 36, Anuson Noisuwan, 21, and Prakong Puchum, 22 - were nabbed the same way later.

They were arrested on Nov 16 and 17. This time the five were told to receive the awards at the JJ mall shopping centre in the Chatuchak area. "Some went to the place loaded with their belongings from upcountry. Some had been waiting there since 4am," Pol Lt Col Utane recalled.

He said he had already used the ploy to nab more than 50 criminal suspects. In fact, he said, it was not a new idea and was taken from a handbook that teaches you how to be "a cool investigator". Police in Samut Prakan were surprised at the speed of the arrests. "Do you think what I did was sinful" to deceive the suspects, Pol Lt Col Utane asked the Bangkok Post. "I don't think so. These people brought a lot of pain to the victims' families. They have to pay."

(Not really sure why the Post Graphics team put splattered blood in the graphic)

That is awesome! He should definitely not feel bad for that. Anyway you can catch a scumbag, do it!

[LakeGeneve]

11 thugs beating up a 60 year old women in a police station! WTF!

Officer charged with assaulting woman 2/12/2009 Post

A police officer has been charged with injuring a 60-year-old woman at Phetkasem police station after she had a dispute with another policeman.

Pol Maj Athawut Kitkam, attached to Charoen Sin police station in Sakon Nakhon province, was arrested by Metropolitan Police Division 9 on Sunday night and charged with beating Thanida Srisuwan, 60, and her son-in-law, Yuthana Klinkajon, 33, together with other officers. "We're seeking arrest warrants for the other suspects," said Metropolitan Police Division 9 chief Kririn Inkaew.

He told the Phetkasem police chief to ensure fair treatment for the victims, to investigate the case further and act strictly against wrongdoers. The assault allegedly occurred after a quarrel between Mrs Thanida and Pol Cpl Panupan Kitichaidet, whom she accused of raiding the house of her sister-in-law, On-anong Pinitpongpan, in the Bang Khae area on Sunday. Pol Cpl Panupan denied the claim, saying he had rented the house from Mrs On-anong.

The two were taken to Phetkasem police station and were left in a room to settle their differences. During this time, according to the investigation, about 10 plainclothes police, led by Pol Maj Athawut, were called by Pol Cpl Panupan. The police were accused of injuring Mrs Thanida and Mr Yutthana in a scuffle. Mrs Thanida tried to help Mr Yutthana, but was allegedly punched by Pol Maj Athawut and fell to the ground with "her face pressed on by the sole [of a shoe]," according to the investigation.

The alleged assault came to an end when other officers burst into the room and restrained Pol Maj Athawut. The other police managed to escape. Pol Maj Athawut denied the charge claiming he was accidentally hurt in a brawl by "a gang of teenagers", not police. He was released on bail.

Police spokesman Pongsapat Pongcharoen said an initial investigation found Pol Maj Athawut had been ordered to assist in dealing with car theft cases in Bangkok."However, we're checking whether the order is still in effect," Pol Maj Gen Pongsapat said, adding Pol Maj Athawut would face another charge if he is not permitted to help with other work.

Thanida Srisuwan at Charoen Krung Pracharak Hospital.

Raid nets 200 under-age pub drinkers 30/11/2009 Post

A police raid on an unlicensed pub in Huai Khwang district has turned up more than 200 under-age revellers, many as young as 14. Drug police raided the Motown pub on Ratchadaphisek Road at 1.30am yesterday after receiving complaints pubs in the area were admitting under-age drinkers.

Most of the 219 patrons were aged under 20, many between 14 and 16, police said. Few patrons carried ID cards, and three tested positive for drugs when their urine was tested. Arthit Sirinant, manager of the pub, was arrested and charged with running the pub without permission. The pub has been ordered closed for 30 days.

The Metropolitan Police Bureau set up a panel following the raid to investigate the Huai Kwang police chief and other senior officers for negligence of duty, said acting city police commander Santhan Chayanont. They would be subject to disciplinary punishment if found guilty.

The raid was carried out by a combined team from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB), the Office of the Narcotics Control Board and the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission. NSB commander Sangsoon Karnasuta said Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga had called for an inspection of pubs and entertainment venues in the lead up to New Year, following complaints many pubs were allowing in teenagers.

Huai Khwang police turned up at the pub during yesterday's raid and asked to take part in the operation. But officers from the three agencies barred them from doing so and told them to wait outside.

[LakeGeneve]

About to post a story in today's Nation when I remembered this from late last year....

Police officers accused over gang rape of colleague Bangkok Post, 28/11/2010

YALA : A policeman and two of his female colleagues face dismissal and charges over the gang rape of a woman officer. The victim, attached to the Bannang Sata district police office, was allegedly lured by one of the other policewomen to a pub and then to an apartment, where she was sexually assaulted by the policeman and several other men.

Pol Lt Gen Paithoon Chuchaiya, chief of the Police Operation Centre for the Southern Border Provinces, has recommended that the Royal Thai Police Office dismiss the three officers. National police chief Wichean Potephosree deplored the attack as "utterly despicable" and vowed to take swift legal and disciplinary action against those responsible. The three accused officers surrendered to answer the charges at the operation centre yesterday.

The suspected rapist was identified as Pol L/C Siwapong Ngernniem, of Pattani's Yarang district police station, and the two female accused as Pol L/C Shiwarat sae Tong, 23, of the Bannang Sata district station, and Pol L/C Natrata Chukao, from the operation centre.

Pol L/C Tipaya Kueakul, 23, of the Bannang Sata station, filed a complaint saying she had been lured by Pol L/C Shiwarat to a pub in Yala municipality on the night of Nov 14.

She was later taken to an apartment on Siroros Road in Muang district, where she was assaulted and detained by Pol L/C Shiwarat. After she passed out, she was raped by Pol L/C Siwapong and many male friends of Pol L/C Shiwarat.

The police investigation also implicated Pol L/C Natrata in planning the sexual assault. Police are searching for the other suspected rapists. Pol Gen Wichean said it was appalling that law enforcement officers themselves had broken the law.

He said the fact that it was a sex crime committed by police against a fellow officer made it an even more serious and unpardonable offence. "These are police officers who bullied and took advantage of a female officer who was their friend. It is utterly despicable," said Pol Gen Wichean.He said he would spare no mercy for the officers.

[LakeGeneve]

A scary story. Police or not, these thugs would not be operating without the knowledge of the local police.

Nation journalist held up at gunpoint by 'police', The Nation, Published on January 13, 2011

Walking along Sanphawut Road at around 4.30pm on Thursday, my son and I were stopped by a group of three men, one in uniform, standing opposite the Chinese temple.

They nodded at each other then stopped us and asked whether we were Indians. Assuming they were policemen, I answered yes and showed them my driving licence and ID card for The Nation, where I work. One of the group then snapped: "You don't talk anymore. We are from Immigration. We want your passport." Another man emerged from the rear seat of a Toyota Vigo pickup and pushed us into it, taking away my wallet with ID card, driving licence, credit card, debit card and money, while two of the original group got in the front.

We told them our passports were at home, and they said they'd take us there. Instead, they sped past our building, telling us to "shut up" and that they were taking us to Immigration. After demanding my wallet, I succeeded in snatching it back. Instead of taking a right-turn for Suan Plu and the Immigration Department, the pickup went left to Thanon Thangrot Fai Sai Kao and towards Samrong. I said I needed to call my office and inform them I was being taken to Immigration, but they would have none of it. In the commotion I realised that the man next to me was trying to prise the wedding ring off my finger. It was obvious that all of them were drunk and looking to make a quick buck from innocent foreigners.

I managed to get the ring back, then, as I tried to call my office, the man in the back grabbed at my cellphone. My son protested, and was told that he was "talking to much" by the driver, who threatened he would be shot. His partner in front then produced a gun, cocked it and pointed it at my son. I told them they didn't look like real policemen (two were in plain clothes), and asked to see some ID. Simultaneously they produced their cards, saying: "How dare you ask such questions. We don't like The Nation. You are against the police. You'll be taken to Pattaya and shot."

We asked what they wanted. The "policeman" beside us produced a cellophane bag and ordered us to put our belongings in it, then grabbed at the wallet belonging to my son, who resisted. The man responded by trying to put handcuffs on my son. The front-seat passenger again pointed his gun at my son, barking that he "deserved to die".

Looking for an exit, we wound down the windows. The pickup then slowed as we reached an intersection, and we took our chance, struggling desperately with the "policemen" in an effort to open the doors. I cranked open my door, which was immediately nicked by another car, causing the driver of our vehicle to scream at his colleagues to stop us. At this point we began yelling for help to attract attention.

The spooked driver swerved towards the right kerb, and we managed to jump out. The pickup, with number plate Cho kacher O ang 5342, then sped away against the traffic in the wrong lane.

We were shaken up, but knew we could have suffered much worse at the hands of three out-of-control, drunk, gun-wielding thugs calling themselves policemen. It was a hair-raising ordeal and my 17-year-old son is already having nightmares. This is Bangkok, not the badlands of Pakistan or Iraq, and yet men in uniform are able to roam the streets preying on foreigners. I dread to think what the outcome would have been had something similar happened to my wife or any woman less able to defend herself.

George Cherian

Sports editor (The Nation)

[English_Bob]

Incredible story - I had a run in with some guys like that a couple of years ago.

There were nine of them and only one wore a uniform, which was covered in a jacket. I asked to see ID and he flashed a tattered card quickly and then hid it again. These guys tried to put me in a taxi, but I refused (always calm but firm).

Fortunately I was able to call someone with a bit of influence who came down and scared them off.